


Onestar's Nine Lives

by omegastar



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Nine Lives Ceremony, based off of the tumblr post i made, if heatherstar is ooc its because i literally do not remember her, mudclaw is bitter, this is kind of a test idk how to work this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 12:02:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17487701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omegastar/pseuds/omegastar
Summary: Onewhisker looked at Mudclaw, who stood beside him, looking straight ahead.“Thank you for giving me a life,” he meowed, nudging him. “That really takes heart.”Mudclaw laughed shortly. “Yeah, don’t mention it.”





	Onestar's Nine Lives

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my attempt at explaining why Onestar changed so suddenly after he became leader, enjoy :)

“Welcome to StarClan, Onewhisker.”

  
Onewhisker blinked away the brightness that had replaced the blackness from just moments ago. He sniffled, aware his nose was still cold from the frigid waters of the Moonpool. He glanced over at Barkface with uncertainty, who nudged him forward with his flank.

Then Onewhisker found the source of the voice. In front of him was a face he had seen not long ago, but this time Tallstar’s eyes were bright and youth leapt in his step as he padded forward.

Onewhisker dipped his head. “Hello,” he settled on, then cursed himself for being so curt. Tallstar smiled warmly.

“Why so shaken?” he asked with a gentle tease in his voice. Onewhisker laughed nervously.

“I just…” he gave a swift glance around the clearing, where more StarClan cats began to fade into view. He lowered his voice and ducked his head so only Tallstar could hear his confession. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this, Tallstar. I’ve never been deputy and it feels like…” He caught Mudclaw out of the corner of his eye, observing intently from the sidelines. Onewhisker’s face flushed. “I feel like I cheated him out of this.”

Tallstar shook his head. “That was not your choice to make.”

“I respect you, Tallstar,” Onewhisker replied slowly, “but I don’t think it’s a choice you should have made, either.”

There was a pause as Tallstar considered his words. To Onewhisker’s surprise, the old leader didn’t look taken aback by his retort at all.  

“I saw Mudclaw’s reign before I died. It lead to nothing but bloodshed and hate. I respect you, too, Onewhisker. I’ve known you for seasons on end, and that respect has never wavered. And that’s why I am honored to give you this life.”

  Before Onewhisker could protest, Tallstar thrust his muzzle forward to meet his forehead.

“For your first life, I give you certainty. Your Clanmates trust your decisions - now you need to trust them, too.”

Onewhisker gasped as a cold wave washed over him, engulfing him in a chill to his bone. And then, the moment passed, and he was filled with a certain warmth, a gentle flow of confidence. Tallstar stepped back, and another cat took his place.

This one Onewhisker did not recognize. It was a plump orange cat, who jingled when he walked. And then Onewhisker realized he was wearing a collar.

“A kittypet?” The thought escaped. His whiskers twitched in surprise. To Onewhisker’s relief, the kittypet laughed and didn’t seem offended.

“One you should be acquainted with by now!” he replied. “I’m Jake. Your close friend was a kittypet, too - and my son.”

“Firestar’s father!” Onewhisker realized, and the resemblance struck him as uncanny. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think kittypets went to StarClan.”

“We don’t. But we can always visit the ones we love most…” with that, Jake’s head turned slightly and met Tallstar’s gaze. He smiled and turned back to Onewhisker. “...and do ceremonies, of course.”

Jake was much shorter than Onewhisker, and settled on pressing his nose to the deputy’s chin.

“With this life, I give you friendship. Know that it passes even beyond the borders, to places you’d never expect.”

The life flowed through Onewhisker, but it did not hurt like Tallstar’s did. Instead, he envisioned Firestar, and his times in the old forest with the then-warrior. Soon the visions were gone, but he stepped back with a warm joy in his chest.

Jake also stepped back with a grin and stood beside Tallstar. Their tails touched briefly in a greeting, and then both of them faded.

The third cat padded forward.

Onewhisker felt his knees buckle.

“Stagleap!” he exclaimed, rushing up to touch his nose to his father’s. “It’s been so long!”

“Too long,” Stagleap agreed, accepting the gesture with a grin. “Your mother and I have watched you from StarClan. We’re so proud of you, Onewhisker.”

“Thanks.” Onewhisker could hardly manage the word; he was so busy inspecting his father. Stagleap had perished to a border skirmish when Onewhisker was an apprentice, so he hadn’t remembered much of him. He did, however, remember how much he missed him.

“With this life, I give you pride,” Stagleap meowed after a moment, allowing his head to rest on his son’s. “A WindClan cat should always be proud of who he is, and who his family is. Carry on that pride to your Clanmates now, and in the future.”

Onewhisker’s paws tingled, and soon confidence surged through his pelt, and deep into his chest. His shoulders relaxed as he overlooked a vision of his Clan, strong-willed and fierce.

Stagleap raised his chin as the pain from the life ebbed away. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Hey, I know I’m not supposed to do this, but…” he glanced around him swiftly. “Say hi to your sisters for me, okay?”

Onewhisker grinned. “Sure thing.”

Stagleap returned the smile, and then vanished into the starry sky.

The next cat removed herself from her spot in line and padded towards Onewhisker. He squinted, and faint memories returned to him from long ago.

“Do you remember me, Onewhisker?” she asked, whiskers twitching. “My name is Heatherstar. I died when you were a kit. I lead WindClan before Tallstar.”

Onewhisker dipped his head in greeting. “It’s an honor to meet you. I’ve heard great things.”

Heatherstar snorted at his bow. “Don’t do that. After all, we’ll be equals soon.” Her eyes shone brightly, and her regal posture was that of a proud leader. “I was told by Moth Flight, at my leader ceremony, that a WindClan cat would stray from home. And I was to let him.”

Onewhisker egged her on. “How did you respond?”

“I told her to suck it, of course.” Heatherstar gave a short laugh. Then she fell into a more somber tone. “But Moth Flight was right. I wanted to demand so much loyalty on my Clanmates; I thought this cat to be a traitor. But really, he needed to find himself in order to be the best warrior - the best leader - WindClan has seen in a long time.”

“Tallstar,” Onewhisker realized in a murmur. Heatherstar nodded.

“Yes. What I’m trying to get at is that sometimes you must look beyond your own mind. Your cats have voices, Onewhisker. Listen to them.”

She reached forward to touch his nose, and nearly had to lean down. “With this life I give you trust. Trust your Clan; they are the reason you lead.”

This life passed through Onewhisker with a burning passion, one that was both rocky and even. He saw friends and foes alike, but all united in plight.

Heatherstar backed away from him, and nodded once. Then she was gone, and in her place stood an old gray cat who held his head much lower than her’s.

He took a slow step forward, and with a start Onewhisker realized that this cat wasn’t gray at all, but rather so faded that his black pelt lost its color over the seasons.

“You don’t know who I am,” he started in a low, rumbling voice. “I don’t expect you to.”

“Alright,” Onewhisker meowed hesitantly after a moment of tense silence. The old cat lashed his tail, still not ready to give him the life. “Who... are you?”

“Swiftstar,” he growled. “Though it’s a name I hardly deserve.” Onewhisker’s pelt prickled uneasily at the bitterness in Swiftstar’s tone. “Every once in a while they let me do leader ceremonies, where I have to preach about all my faults and mistakes. Like I don’t regret them every day.”

“All of these cats make mistakes,” Onewhisker consoled, sweeping his tail to motion to the remaining StarClan cats in the clearing. “They’re all giving me lives based on their own, lives they think would benefit me. I’m by no means perfect myself. No one is expected to be, really.”

One side of Swiftstar’s mouth cracked up in a smirk. “I see why you’re becoming leader now.” He shook out his pelt and then paused. “I made worse mistakes in my life than you ever will, ones I won’t burden you with. With this life I give you acceptance.”

Onewhisker leaned forward and hardly felt the leader’s ghostly muzzle against his own. The life was pulsing, and Onewhisker slid his claws out into the grass to hold himself to the ground. He gritted his teeth as the pain died and Swiftstar took a few quick steps back.

“Acceptance was something I lacked in my own life, and honestly… it’s hard sometimes,” Swiftstar admitted, glancing at his paws to avoid Onewhisker’s stare. “But I have faith in you. Accept yourself, accept your past, and accept your Clanmates. Because StarClan knows we’re not perfect.”

Onewhisker nodded with a gnawing feeling in his belly about the old leader’s words. Swiftstar faded with his haunting orange gaze even with Onewhisker’s.

Onewhisker hardly had time to process Swiftstar’s life when another cat took his place. This cat had uneven tufts of fur, and was so youthful that Onewhisker wasn’t sure he was thinking of the right cat.

“Reed… Reedfeather?” he guessed, squinting to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. Reedfeather nodded, flicking an ear.

“Can’t believe you remember me!” he exclaimed with wide eyes. “I mean, I was how old and you were how young when…”

“How could I forget your stories?” Onewhisker purred at the memory. “You were my favorite elder.”

Reedfeather laughed lightly. “Ah, you don’t need to get on my good side for this ceremony,” he teased. “You remember my stories, but what you didn’t hear from me - what you heard from gossip, probably - was that I had a relationship with a RiverClan cat, Fallowtail.”

Onewhisker tensed, but Reedfeather didn’t seem to notice.

“I heard what you told Swiftstar,” he went on. “None of us are perfect. Not you, and certainly not me. But before you make those choices you’ll regret, before you change your mind, you must think about the consequences of your actions. I give you a life for good judgement. Don’t be afraid to defy the code for the good of your Clan, but know the place you stand in, too.”

This life hurt the most. Onewhisker could see pools of bright blue, and tears in them, and soft gray fur as he tore away and ran into the forest and kept running and running but his heart held him down and the trees kept closing in and-

With a gasp for air, Onewhisker realized he had been holding his breath the entire time. Reedfeather blinked warily as the life subsided.

“Jeez, any more dramatics and I’d think you didn’t want that life,” he joked, though Onewhisker noticed a glint of hurt in his eye.

“Nothing like that,” Onewhisker insisted. “It just… hurt.”

Reedfeather dipped his head. “You’re strong, Onewhisker. You have a rough path ahead of you but… you made it through all that before. You can do it again.”

Onewhisker was again left bewildered but said nothing as the old deputy faded. A more recent deputy stepped forward after, one who Onewhisker recognized.

“Deadfoot!” he greeted his former Clanmate, rushing up to him and touching his nose in a friendly greeting. “I miss you, and I know Ashfoot and Crowfeather do too!”

“I’m glad to hear it!” Deadfoot replied, twitching his tail, which kinked above his back. “This is going to seem a little redundant, but I’m giving you a life for guidance. All of WindClan, young and old, whether they want to or need to - they’re going to look up to you. With Tallstar gone, you’ve got some big pawprints to fill. Guide them with the air of a leader and the heart of a lion.”

Deadfoot pressed his nose to Onewhisker’s forehead, and a confidence blazed through his head to his tail-tip. His chest puffed instinctively as he envisioned himself on the Great Rock, overseeing every one of his Clanmates.

“It’s a good feeling, right?” Deadfoot asked as he began to back away. Onewhisker nodded. “Guidance is not easy, but it pays off. Promise.”

Deadfoot faded. Onewhisker stared ahead for the next cat, but caught by surprise, someone bumped into his chest. Onewhisker looked down in surprise to see a much smaller cat staring up at him, and when he recognized him, Onewhisker’s heart swelled.

“Gorsepaw,” he whispered. He crouched down so the apprentice could meet his level and rush up, brushing his cheek to his former mentor’s. “I’m sorry I never got to finish training you. You would have been the best warrior.”

“And you will be an even better leader,” Gorsepaw whispered, drawing away. Though his voice seemed sad, his eyes gleamed with pride for Onewhisker. “I’m happy to see you. I really miss my mom.”

“I’ll tell her,” Onewhisker murmured. “I’ll tell her you’re doing well.”

Gorsepaw smiled shyly. No signs of his violent death remained and instead, his youthful eyes glowed. “With this life, I give you heart. I don’t think you need it, really, but…” Gorsepaw glanced down and shuffled his paws. “Some cats do. Some cats need you to share your heart. It can’t hurt anyone, right?”

“You’re right,” Onewhisker said with a grin, dipping his head to accept the life. When he was granted it, he felt no pain at all. Only a warmth as he passed familiar faces… Stagleap, Wrenflight, Firestar… Gorsepaw. He was looking back into the eyes of his former apprentice after only a brief moment.

“I’m really sorry,” he told Gorsepaw, voice faltering. “I could have saved you.”

Gorsepaw shook his head. “No, Onewhisker. You don’t need to tell yourself that. You won.” He smiled. “I didn’t need avenging, but you did it anyway. And you were the best mentor. That’s more than I could ask for.”

Onewhisker smiled back, making a feeble attempt to keep a steady expression in front of the young cat. Gorsepaw touched his nose to Onewhisker’s one last time, and then stepped back.

His spirit faded away, and one StarClan cat remained in the clearing.

Onewhisker’s swelling heart dropped when he recognized the brown tom stalking towards him, tail lashing. Mudclaw paused when their eyes met, and the former deputy blinked.

“Onewhisker,” he greeted with a dip of his head.

“I’m sorry,” Onewhisker said immediately. Mudclaw tipped his head to the side.

“Why are you apologizing?”

Onewhisker’s face flushed hot. “I don’t know. It feels right? I mean… you died and it was kind of my fault.”

Mudclaw shook his head. “No, Onewhisker. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. StarClan’s, maybe. Tallstar’s, too. But not yours.”

“Oh.” Onewhisker wasn’t sure how to follow up Mudclaw’s words. “You didn’t deserve that, and I don’t deserve this. I guess I’m sorry that you got so cheated out of what you worked so hard for.”

Mudclaw shrugged stiffly. “That’s life. Life will screw you over. So I’m here to give you a life for utmost loyalty to WindClan.”

He jerked his head forward, and Onewhisker almost recoiled as their noses met.

The life flashed through his body, but Mudclaw wasn’t finished speaking.

“When life throws troubles at you, you will always have your Clan! They will always come first and most importantly-”

The pain numbed, and Onewhisker stumbled back. Mudclaw kept his posture and narrowed eyes focused on the leader.

“- they matter the most.”

Onewhisker panted from exhaustion, and glanced around the clearing. Only then did he realize his medicine cat was gone. “Where’d Barkface go?” he asked. Mudclaw shrugged.

“Beats me. In a little bit all the StarClan cats are gonna come back, and they’re all gonna chant your new name. They gave you some interesting lives, no?”

Onewhisker forced a laugh. “I guess you could say that.”

“A life of certainty. Knowing you’re right and not backing down to protests.”

Onewhisker narrowed his eyes in confusion as Mudclaw paced in front of him.

“Friendship. Using your allies to their fullest potential. Turning your back on them when they’re no longer of use. Pride. Us WindClan cats are good at that, aren’t we?” Mudclaw stalked up to Onewhisker, thrusting his nose forward. “Too proud to back down, too proud to admit when we’re wrong.”

“I don’t understand-”

“Trust! Trust is fantastic, until you can’t trust anyone because you’ve put it all into select few. And acceptance? Onewhisker, you could accept every cat in the forest before you accept what you’ve done. Don’t even get me starting on good judgement, hypocrite. Guidance is leadership, power. It’s demand. And heart-”

“ _No-_ ”

“Well heart is what you make it to be, Onewhisker.” Mudclaw stood straight now, gaze unwavering to Onewhisker’s. “You can have a heart, but that doesn’t mean it’s good. But I’ll leave that up to your good judgement.” He spat his last words, heavy with sarcasm. 

“Why?” Onewhisker exclaimed in exasperation. “Why are you being like this? It’s _over,_ Mudclaw. You died.”

Mudclaw blinked. “Because it’s the truth. See, with every virtue comes a vice. With every good leader comes someone that, how did you phrase it, gets cheated. With everything you do right, there’s always something lingering in the past that you can’t get away with for much longer.”

Onewhisker stiffened.

“StarClan cats are wise,” Mudclaw went on. “I know you now, Onewhisker. I’ve seen what you’re capable of. At first I thought you were just the underdog story of WindClan, which I could live out my StarClan days knowing. But it turns out you’re not any better than me.”

“You would have run the Clan with blood,” Onewhisker snarled. “Battle after battle… that’s not me.”

“Who’s to say?” Mudclaw meowed. “Tallstar was old; perhaps he was confusing that vision with someone else. Someone who just gained nine lives and the insight I dearly bestowed on you.”

“I will never use those lives for hate.”

“Is that so?” Mudclaw mused. Before Onewhisker could react, Mudclaw jumped at him. He tried to dodge to the left, but Mudclaw managed to touch his muzzle to Onewhisker’s flank.

Suddenly the power of Onewhisker’s nine lives split through him like a reopened wound, and with every bruning warmth he felt came an equal coldness through his body. He writhed in pain, dropping to his belly and convulsing as countless claws ripped through his insides. He managed a few glances up at Mudclaw until he was exhausted, and tunnel vision blocked out the borders of StarClan.

“We know about Smoke up here,” Mudclaw spat over his jerking body. “Soon, they’ll all know down there, too.”

 

* * *

 

Onewhisker gasped for air and sat upright.  

His mind went blank, and he stared up into Mudclaw’s curious face. He said nothing and blinked in confusion as Mudclaw aided him to his paws.

“What happened?” he groaned, legs shaking as he faced the old deputy.

“You gained your nine lives,” he explained. “The effects they had on you were a lot, I guess.”

“Oh. What happens next?”

“In a few moments, StarClan will appear and chant your new name. Then you’ll be leader of WindClan.”

Onewhisker looked at Mudclaw, who stood beside him, looking straight ahead.

“Thank you for giving me a life,” he meowed, nudging him. “That really takes heart.”

Mudclaw laughed shortly. “Yeah, don’t mention it.”

After a few heartbeats if silence, the clearing around them shone as cats from Onewhisker’s life and before appeared one by one, gleefully chanting louder and louder.

“Onestar! Onestar! Onestar!”

Onestar beamed at his new life as even Mudclaw joined the chant. Then the moment grew, and Onestar faded back into the living world.

Mudclaw watched as the StarClan cats chatted excitedly for a bit before they walked their separate ways. He sat in the clearing, tail-tip twitching, staring at nothing.

“Why did you do that?”

Mudclaw twitched his ear to acknowledge Hawkheart, the old WindClan medicine cat, as he approached.

“Do what?”

“You know what. I saw you manipulate Onestar’s ceremony.”

“It wasn’t manipulation. I was being honest.”

“They shouldn’t have let you give him a life,” Hawkheart muttered, licking his chest. “I told them you were still bitter about your death, but when do they listen to me?”

Mudclaw scoffed. “Who would listen to you? You’re hardly better off than I am. At least I didn’t kill anyone.”

“Not directly,” Hawkheart growled. “By pulling that number, you just jeopardized WindClan until Onestar’s death.”

“You’re telling me I get screwed over multiple times before I die and I can’t do anything in retaliation?” Mudclaw responded, voice raising. “He had a mate outside the Clan not to mention a suspiciously close friendship and I get demoted because Tallstar had a _vision_? I’m sorry, Hawkheart. I can’t let that be my legacy. I need it to be his, because… because it _is_ his legacy.”

“You keep making the claim that you did nothing wrong but maybe…” Hawkheart stared off at the moors in the distance. “Maybe _this_ was Tallstar’s vision. You just gave Onestar the nine lives he needs to destroy WindClan and himself. The blood on his paws belongs to cats who you killed.”

“There’s no way of knowing,” Mudclaw said stiffly. “Giving a cat a life won’t kick me into the Dark Forest. They have other cats to worry about now.” He glanced down at the pool of water in front of him, where Onestar was waking up to leave with Barkface.

Hawkheart sighed. “Which one of you is really wrong, at this point?”

"Perhaps both of us," Mudclaw admitted, watching Onestar pad away from the Moonpool with a burning hatred. He snapped his gaze back up to Hawkheart. "But only one of us gets the last laugh. And I will watch with hilarity until the moment his actions catch up to him."  
  


 

 

  


  


  
  


 


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